Our region is home to a half million residents and covers 4,400 square miles in Eastern Iowa, including the six counties of Benton, Iowa, Johnson, Jones, Linn and Washington.
The region is linked by primary arteries to the nearby (less than 300 miles) metros of Chicago, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, Omaha, and St. Louis. Access to markets is provided by the highway system and an extensive system of secondary roads, as well as by six freight rail carriers, one commercial airport, and eight additional airports with varied federal classifications. The region is characterized by two urban areas with numerous small towns and rural countryside. In addition to the seven counties, the region includes 72 municipalities and 30 public school districts. The region’s largest municipalities are Cedar Rapids and Iowa City, located in central Linn County and Johnson County, respectively. |
Our Regional Vision
ECICOG, partnering with other regional organizations, completed a Regional Vision Strategy which also serves as the Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) for the Economic Development District (EDD).
The EDD encompases 7 counties: Benton, Cedar, Iowa, Linn, Johnson, Jones, and Washington Counties. |
Regional Visioning Scorecard
Curious about ICR stacks up against other regions? ECICOG worked with the Regional Visioning Strategy Committee to help create the 2019 Regional Visioning Scorecard. The scorecard compares our six county region with seven similar regions throughout the country on twelve different measures. The scorecard also highlights accomplishments since the Regional Vision was completed in 2018. Click here to see the score card.